Virginia Walmart shooting: 6 people dead including gunman

Late Tuesday, a gunman opened fire in a Walmart store in Chesapeake, Virginia. The mass shooting left six people dead, including the assailant, police confirmed. Four victims are injured and hospitalized.

This is the second high-profile shooting a few days following the University of Virginia’s fatal shooting, which killed three people. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin spoke about this current mass shooting in Chesapeake. He labeled it a “shocking stark reality.” He said, “We overnight, again, had a, just a horrendous senseless act of violence in Chesapeake, and the investigation is ongoing.”

Our hearts break with the community of Chesapeake this morning. I remain in contact with law enforcement officials throughout this morning and have made available any resources as this investigation moves forward. Heinous acts of violence have no place in our communities.

— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) November 23, 2022

Gov. Youngkin was also sorrowful after two mass shootings in their state. He said, “Our hearts are just completely broken this morning yet again in the commonwealth of Virginia. We have had two horrific acts of violence in the commonwealth of Virginia in two weeks, and that absolutely brings with it a sense of anger, a sense of fear, a sense of deep, deep grief,”

BREAKING: There are media reports of a mass shooting at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia. https://t.co/iVeqDeShUh

— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) November 23, 2022

Furthermore, the police confirmed that the gunman was also dead from a self-inflicted shot. Chesapeake Police Chief Mark Solesky spoke in a press conference on Wednesday. Solesky said they would withhold the gunman’s identity until they had notified his family.

But they confirmed that the assailant was an employee of the store. The investigators believe he shot fellow employees while in the break room. Four patients with injuries are getting treatments at Norfolk General Hospital. However, authorities said that their conditions weren’t available.

Walmart Virginia shooting incident

According to some sources, the police believe the gunman turned the gun on himself. The fatal wound he incurred was the cause of his death. Moreover, the police found him dead at the scene. Officials said his motive was still unknown. 

I’m praying for the families that lost loved ones and all those impacted by the mass shooting in Chesapeake, Virginia last night.

Far too many lives are being taken by senseless gun violence and we need action now.https://t.co/bsI3FClBMI

— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) November 23, 2022

Solensky also provided a timeline of the events following the Tuesday night shooting. At 10:12 pm, they received a call and went to the scene within two minutes, arriving at 10:14 pm. The officials are inside the Walmart store at 10:16 pm. Then they declared the place was clear and safe by 11:20 pm.

Walmart expressed grief over the incident and tweeted that they were “shocked at this tragic event.” This recent Virginia shooting also brought back the horrible memories of a shooting in Virginia Beach in 2019. It left 12 people dead.

Furthermore, this Walmart shooting came just three days after the Colorado shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub. Since 2019, the US has recorded five fatal shootings inside supermarkets. One of which was the Buffalo supermarket deadly shooting, killing ten shoppers, mostly Black people.